Luis Eraso ’19 earns private pilot certificate

Please join the Aviation department in congratulating Luis Eraso on earning his Private Pilot Certificate. Luis passed his Private pilot practical test on Thursday, December 20, 2018, at Winter Haven airport. The examiner commented that it was the best Private Pilot check ride he had ever done.

Luis Eraso, a 7-day boarding senior from Venezuela, has been a Farragut student for two years, but he’s been around aviation for much longer. Both of his parents are pilots, and the year before he entered Farragut he earned his solo endorsement through a summer program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has fond memories of his first solo flight.

“It didn’t really hit me until I was in the air already that I was alone,” he said. “It was a great feeling. I’ll never forget it”

He chose Farragut for its aviation program.

“When I heard about Farragut’s aviation program, I was captivated,” he said. “There was this school you can go and get your private license. It’s amazing.”

“This school is perfect for flying,” he continued. “I wouldn’t have gotten my license this early in my life if I hadn’t gone to Farragut. There are so many opportunities here, so many people here to help you and you make lifelong relationships.”

Luis Eraso, now gets to fly twice a week in his aviation classes at Farragut, and sometimes gets to fly at home in Venezuela as well. He’s been working on his certificate for the past school year.

“The toughest part of it was the theory,” he said. “Memorizing the regulations, the airspace, flight plans, paperwork, and getting to know the system. It’s very complex and you never really fully understand it. But it’s worth it. Flying is so cool. Knowing that you can go where you want is the best feeling ever. It’s freedom. You own the sky.”

“Over the course of the past year and a half, Luis has become a very accomplished pilot,” said Rob Ewing, the director of the Aviation program at Farragut. “He understands the immense responsibility that comes with having a pilot certificate. I have no doubt that he will have an extremely successful aviation career. It is always a pleasure to fly with excellent pilots and Luis is certainly one.”

Outside of aviation, Luis enjoys Farragut’s opportunities for sailing, swimming, track, and scuba. He also has a hobby of building and flying RC planes on the football field. He has some advice for aspiring pilots.

“It’s a great career and there are so many doors into the aviation world,” Luis said. “So just go for it!”

Luis is planning on attending an aerospace engineering college in Spain. “I want to be a pilot for anything. It could be Prep school, commercial, or cargo planes, but I just really want to fly.”